14/22. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1239 — Slave Exchange Hand to Hand
What Has Been Related About Buying A Slave In Exchange For Two Slaves
Hadith on Hand-to-Hand Exchange and Verification
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1239
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1239
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ جَاءَ عَبْدٌ فَبَايَعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى الْهِجْرَةِ وَلاَ يَشْعُرُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ عَبْدٌ فَجَاءَ سَيِّدُهُ يُرِيدُهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " بِعْنِيهِ " . فَاشْتَرَاهُ بِعَبْدَيْنِ أَسْوَدَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُبَايِعْ أَحَدًا بَعْدُ حَتَّى يَسْأَلَهُ أَعَبْدٌ هُوَ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ جَابِرٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّهُ لاَ بَأْسَ بِعَبْدٍ بِعَبْدَيْنِ يَدًا بِيَدٍ . وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ إِذَا كَانَ نَسِيئًا .
Jabir Narrated from:
A Slave Came To Give The Pledge To The Prophet (ﷺ) For Hijrah, But The Prophet (ﷺ) Did Not Realize That He Was A Slave. So His Master Came To Get Him And The Prophet (ﷺ) Said: 'Sell Him To Me.' So He Purchased Him For Two Black Slaves. Then He Would Not Pledge From Anyone Until He Asked Him If He Was A Slave. [He Said:] There Is Something On This Topic From Anas. [Abu 'Eisa Said:] The Hadith Of Jabir Is A Hasan Sahih Hadith. This Is Acted Upon According To The People Of Knowledge. There Is No Harm In A Slave For Two Slaves In Hand To Hand Exchange, But They Differ When It Is On Credit.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1239In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 39English translation : Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadith 1239
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1239
This hadith describes a specific event. A slave came and pledged to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for Hijrah, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not know he was a slave. When his master came to get him, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, sell him to me, and purchased him for two black slaves. After that, he would not take a pledge from anyone until he asked whether he was a slave. The report then says people of knowledge saw no harm in a slave for two slaves when the exchange is hand to hand, while they differed if it was on credit. The lessons in the text are verification before pledge and clarity in direct exchange.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم verified a person’s status before accepting later pledges.
- The event shows a hand-to-hand exchange mentioned in the report.
- The report notes no harm in one slave for two slaves hand to hand according to people of knowledge.
- The text records disagreement when such exchange is delayed.
